Grunge powerhouse Candlebox brought their 2022 Unplugged Tour to Nashville this past Thursday, April 21st, playing to a sold-out crowd at City Winery. Promoting their 2021 album Wolves, it was a two-man show, led by rock icon Kevin Martin (lead vocals, guitar) and current guitarist Brian Quinn (lead guitar). The atmosphere had all the feels of an authentic ‘90s production of MTV Unplugged. Dimly lit candles filled the area so casually dressed patrons could find their tables. There was no standing room as the guests sat and quietly talked amongst themselves, the perfect setting for an intimate evening with Seattles’ finest.
Opening up with “Sweet Summertime” of off the 2012 album Love Stories and Other Musings, Kevin quickly impressed with his high-range vocals and thumping acoustic guitar playing. Next up was 2016’s “I Want it Back” from Disappearing in Airports, a heartfelt song about infidelity and broken trust that almost anyone can relate to. This particular song was inspired by a friend who forgot to clear his browsing history, gets busted, and then attempts to rekindle the flame before it burns out. The night was full of insightful stories, detailing the meaning and emotions behind each song. As a casual fan of Candlebox for many years, I was surprised to learn that almost all of my favorites had completely different connotations than what I originally thought. That’s the beautiful thing about music though, people can interpret meanings in so many different ways, and each person can attach a song to represent their own life however they chose, despite the songwriter’s original intention. I would have never known that their next song, “Change” (Candlebox, 1993), was inspired by a psilocybe mushroom trip and is one of Kevin Martin’s favorites. I’m not sure if he meant that the song was his favorite or the experience that lead to the song, but either way, it is a wonderful story into the journey of new beginnings and the courage to find one’s self. I don’t want to spoil all of Kevin’s narratives and insights into his creative genius though, you’ll have to buy a ticket to one of their shows for the full scoop, I’m just here to give you a little taste. As the night progressed, I found myself thinking how this whole time I haven’t even noticed that a full band is missing, seriously, that’s how powerful Kevin’s vocals are. I felt more energy and enthusiasm from two guys with acoustic guitars than I have at most metal shows. After playing “We” from 2021’s Wolves, they went into a series of cover songs that I’m pretty sure will only be performed in Nashville. Kevin and Brian know quite a few musicians in Music City and was gracious enough to bring them on stage to share their talents with us. “First off was a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here”, featuring Matt Spitko, Brian’s good friend from Philly, playing lead guitar. Matt did one hell of a job playing some of the most infamous guitar chords ever and one of my personal favorites from Gilmour and Waters. Next up was the Led Zepplin classic “Going To California”, with guest singer Monica Lewellen and 15-year-old prodigy and Gibson endorsed guitar player Grace Bowers.
Monica did an amazing job making Robert Plant’s vocals her own, as Brian Quinn strummed the mandolin and Grace played rhythm. Grace stayed on stage to play lead guitar on “Cover Me” (Candlebox, 1993) and did an incredible job on a song she had played only a few times.
The highlight of the night, for me anyway, was when Chris Cornell’s older brother Peter came on stage to perform the Temple of the Dog hit “Hunger Strike”. “Peter sang the low notes originally sung by Eddie Vedder and Kevin sang the high notes originally sung by Chris Cornell, with Matt Spitko backing on guitar. It was like I stepped back into 1991, I got all mushy inside and might have even teared up a little bit. Cornell and Vedder are two of my all-time favorite musicians and it was truly amazing to witness this performance in person. I’m not sure if they have ever played that song with Peter Cornell before or if they ever will again, but I’m very fortunate to have been a part of it. After the set of incredible covers, Kevin and Brian went into their new single and standout track from Wolves, titled “Riptide”. This song is also the anthem for the newly formed Riptide Society, a charity co-founded by Kevin Martin, Todd Young, and Peter and Amy Cornell for at-risk youths that provide scholarships, mentoring, and many other opportunities that these kids might not have had. A link to their website with more information is provided below this article, please donate if you can, any amount will help! To close out the night they finished off with three of their bangers, all from the 1993 self-titled album. “Miss you” followed by Their most recognizable hits “You” and “Far Behind”. Skipping the traditional walk-off encore routine of most live acts, they stayed on stage to close the night with a beautiful rendition of U2’s “One”, making for one of the most memorable and inspirational shows that I’ve seen in a long time.
Opening for Candlebox was the Los Angeles Indie Rock quartet, Whole Damn Mess. Consisting of frontman Don Miggs, Lawrence Katz, C.Todd Nielsen, and Greg Hansen, This 4 man band produces uplifting tunes with positive vibes and catchy hooks. WDM got the crowd going with “Maybe We Should Do It” from their album The Queen and the Outcast, followed by 2 of their new singles, “Nothing in the World Feels Better”, and “Some Big Something”, which has recently started to climb the charts and see some radio play. Lead singer Don Miggs just moved to Nashville so we might be seeing a lot more of this band in the future, or you can catch them on any of the remaining dates on the Unplugged Tour.
Setlist:
- Sweet Summertime
- I Want it Back
- Change
- He Calls Home
- We
- Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd cover)
- Going to California (Led Zepplin cover)
- Cover Me
- Hunger Strike (Temple of the Dog cover)
- Sometimes
- Riptide
- Miss You
- You
- Far Behind
- One (U2 cover)
CANDLEBOX
http://www.candleboxrocks.com/https://www.facebook.com/candlebox
https://www.instagram.com/candlebox/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/candlebox
WHOLE DAMN MESS
https://www.wholedamnmess.com/https://www.instagram.com/wholedamnmess/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/wholedamnmess/
https://twitter.com/wholedamnmess
Riptide Society
Matt Spitko
https://www.facebook.com/mattspitkomusic/
https://www.instagram.com/mattspitko/?hl=en
Grace Bowers
https://www.instagram.com/grace__bowers/?hl=en
Monica Lewellen
